uncertain asters, Hewitt

When the wild asters start going blue, it's a sign, yet another sign, that autumn—true equinox autumn, not just fall-feeling days and nights—is in the offing. The flowers, of course, are not actually changing their hues: the white Wood Asters are not turning a species of blue. Rather, a couple of new species—autumn indicators both—are making their stunning presences obvious along the edges of the roads, the woods, and the millpond. These are asters too, but when I tried to figure out their species, I learned something new. well, for me: according to botanical taxonomists, these pretty plants are no longer members of the genus Aster. Wildflowers with this venerable name are now restricted to European natives. Many of our more common, former asters, are now considered, by virtue of common DNA, to belong to the Symphyotrichum congregation. The fact that this one has leaves that clasp the stems, fewer than 25 ray flowers, and a somewhat hairy stem makes me inclined to go with Late Purple Aster (S. patens) but, as is typical with this observer, more detailed study will be required. Stay tuned.